Conservation & Threats

Wild chimpanzees are critically endangered.

At the turn of the century, 2 million chimpanzees lived in the forests of 25 African nations. Today, only 5 nations (Republic Democratic of Congo, Gabon, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, and potentially Cameroon) have significant populations of wild chimpanzees, and their numbers have dwindled to between 150,000 and 300,000.

In the absence of swift action, our closest animal relatives

could become extinct within 15 years.

Learn more about why chimpanzees are so important and the threats to their survival:

Please get involved and support our work to help preserve chimpanzees in the wild!

Why Are Chimpanzees Important?

Biodiversity

The term ‘biodiversity’ – short for ‘biological diversity’ – refers to the variety of life on earth. Having a wide diversity of life on Earth is valuable for many reasons, and chimpanzees are integral to maintaining biodiversity in Africa.

Chimpanzees have:

Ecological Values	All living creatures are supported by the interactions among organisms and ecosystems. Loss of biodiversity makes ecosystems less stable, more vulnerable to extreme events, and weakens its natural cycles. Therefore, if chimpanzees were to go extinct, there could be adverse effects to African habitats and species.
Economic Values	Biologically diverse natural environments provide humans with the necessities of life and form the basis for our economy. For example, chimpanzees are important seed and pollen dispersers, without which flowers and fruit, which people like to eat, could not grow.
Cultural Values	People feel connected to nature and are inspired by its beauty. Human cultures and traditions around the world reflect their attachment to the natural world, especially to chimps and other apes, who are so much like us.

Evolution of Our Closest Relatives

Since chimpanzees are so similar to us genetically and behaviourally, they are Integral in our understanding of what it means to be human. Their behaviour gives us a glimpse of how human evolution may have occurred, from bipedalism to our social organization. These issues can only be properly investigated if chimpanzees remain in their natural settings - if wild chimpanzees disappear, so too will the pieces of our past.